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After Elder Cai finished recounting Na'er's words, the other end of the soul communication fell into silence. Yun Ming didn't know how to respond either.
Na'er's talent had been restored, and she remained the Dragon Spear Goddess of the inner court. Yet, she was willing to stand by Bai Xu's side alongside another girl.
Yun Ming felt a headache coming on. After a long pause, he finally said, "Let them return first. Bai Xu gave the immortal herb to Na'er, restoring her talent. They've been through a lot together, so it's only natural that Na'er has developed feelings for him."
The call ended, and Yali's gentle voice chimed in. She smiled and said, "It seems Na'er has found her other half too."
"Ah~" Yun Ming sighed softly. "Young people these days are becoming harder and harder to understand. Both Gu Yue and Na'er are willing to… stay by Bai Xu's side. Are we just falling behind the times?"
Yali walked over slowly, the beautiful woman settling onto Yun Ming's lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. The two swayed gently on a swing by the Shrek Lake.
"Who can truly understand matters of the heart? As long as Na'er doesn't regret it, that's all that matters."
"That Bai Xu has already withdrawn from Shrek Academy. According to Cai Yue'er, he's joined the Spirit Pagoda. What a headache. Still, the kid has guts—seems like he has his own goals in mind."
Yali replied, "I've met him before. Bai Xu really is an outstanding child. Perhaps the dazzling Bai Xu of the outer court crossed paths with a disheartened Na'er, and it was love at first sight. But looking at it now, sending Na'er to the outer court was the right decision. Otherwise, she might have stayed on Sea God's Island forever, never stepping out into the world."
——————
Late at night, aboard the giant cruise ship.
Bai Xu still hadn't attended the banquet. None of the Shrek Seven Monsters went either. Without Tang Wulin, nothing seemed to excite them anymore. Had that bright, cheerful boy really left them for good?
Perhaps, with time, the Seven Monsters would grow accustomed to it.
*****
Bai Xu's Room.
Knock, knock, knock!
Late at night, his door was rapped upon.
"Come in."
Gu Yue pushed the door open and walked in as if no one else was there. "What did you call me here for?"
"I need you to help me test something."
"Something?" Gu Yue frowned.
The next moment, Bai Xu scattered a set of low-quality Five Elements Flags, placing them at the five corners of the room. The formation activated, enveloping the entire space.
"Y-you… what are you trying to do?" Gu Yue took a step back, as if imagining something improper.
"This room is now isolated by the formation. No one can eavesdrop. But I could only make these disposable, low-quality Five Elements Flags—the formation will last about five minutes. And… you're overthinking it."
With that, Bai Xu pointed a finger, and the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—manifested in the room one by one.
"My control over the five elements is only superficial. Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—these are merely the five natural elements of the external world. I can manipulate them, but I can't use them to comprehend the world's underlying principles. That's why I struggled when trying to master the Five Directions Five Elements Grand Formation."
As he spoke, Gu Yue's body shimmered with the aura of her martial soul—earth, water, wind, fire, light, darkness, and space. The seven elemental dragons clashed with the five elements, and at equal strength, the five elements seemed to be at a disadvantage.
"But the ancient texts don't describe it this way. The five elements should be the fundamental way we understand the world—a language to explain its transformations. Through the five elements' intrinsic nature, we grasp the world's workings and ultimately control all its changes. In the end, the external and internal merge. Yin and yang, the five elements—they create the world."
The mechanisms of creation cannot exist without generation, nor can they exist without restraint. Without generation, there is no basis for development; without restraint, excess leads to harm. The cycle of generation and restraint operates endlessly, and thus, the laws of heaven and earth endure eternally.
"Wood embodies growth and expansion—it belongs to the east."
"Fire embodies heat and ascension—it belongs to the south."
"Earth embodies nourishment and transformation—it belongs to the center."
"Metal embodies purity and harvest—it belongs to the west."
"Water embodies coldness and descent—it belongs to the north."
"The correct order is wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. By utilizing the characteristics of the five elements, with wood, fire, earth, metal, and water as the core, any phenomenon, trait, form, function, or manifestation in nature can be linked to one of them. In other words, this evolutionary path is a continuous process of learning—understanding, mastering, and finally creating. That is the true way of the five elements."
Gu Yue looked puzzled. "What does this have to do with me?"
Bai Xu stepped closer to her, advancing until she was backed against the wall. It looked like something was about to happen. He smiled faintly.
"It has everything to do with you. Remember the compensation you owe me? From now on, I want to study you."
"Absolutely not! I refuse! I'm returning to the Spirit Pagoda to research ten-thousand-year spirit souls. There's no way I'm staying with you!" Gu Yue struggled defiantly, trying to push him away, but her efforts were futile.
The seven elemental dragons seemed beyond her control, unable to return to her body as they continued to tangle with the five elements in midair.
Gu Yue felt like she had walked into a wolf's den. She never should have come.
Bai Xu clasped her wrist firmly and grinned. "It doesn't conflict. You research spirit souls, and I'll research you. Besides, I'm part of the Spirit Pagoda too."
Crack!
The sound of the formation breaking made Bai Xu glance aside. In that instant, the seven elements returned to Gu Yue, and she teleported to the other side of the room in a flash.
Her heart pounded so loudly she could hear it. She glared at Bai Xu, equal parts embarrassed and indignant. "If this is how I can make it up to you… fine. But don't go too far."
Bai Xu's smile deepened. He sat down on the bed leisurely. "Of course. But today doesn't count. I still want to touch your dragon wings."
!!!
Gu Yue instinctively wanted to refuse.
But Bai Xu sighed dramatically, feigning sadness. "You did take advantage of me back then—"
Before he could finish, Gu Yue cut him off. "Fine. You can have them."
The last thing she wanted to hear was the word "advantage," especially from Bai Xu's mouth. And she truly did want to make amends.
Gu Yue walked over to the bed and sat beside Bai Xu. With a release of soul power, the long-unseen dragon wings unfurled, enveloping Bai Xu's body.
He reached out curiously, stroking them. No matter how he looked at them, the wings were like works of art—breathtakingly beautiful!
The silver-white veins shimmered faintly, the wing membranes smooth and almost translucent, adorned with faint silver dragon scales. Perfection.
Gu Yue's face flushed deeper. She lowered her head, enduring the sensation as Bai Xu's hands explored. Her body trembled slightly, and she bit her lip, suppressing any sounds.
"By the way… can you also manifest a dragon tail?"
!!!!
Gu Yue froze, her mind going blank for a second. It seemed she couldn't hold back anymore. Just as Bai Xu had guessed, a slender silver-scaled tail coiled around his waist. The wings wrapped around them both, and silver scales began emerging across her skin.
She pushed Bai Xu onto the bed, pinning him down. Their eyes met, and neither spoke for a long moment.
"How can you say something so shameless with a straight face? Stop teasing me, Bai Xu. I can't hold back much longer. We can't… do what comes next."
"We're both willing, and we're not naive teenagers. Why can't we?" Bai Xu didn't hide his intentions. What would happen next was obvious to both of them.
"You—!!"
"You lust after my body!"
Knock, knock, knock!
The door was rapped again, shattering the intimate atmosphere. Gu Yue hadn't locked it when she entered, so the next moment, someone pushed it open.
"Bai Xu, are you asleep?" Na'er's soft voice called out. All she saw was Bai Xu lying on the bed, looking dazed.
Na'er glanced outside the door and smiled faintly. "Can I still sleep with you?"
During their travels, to save money, they had often shared a single room and a single bed.
"You can't sleep alone?" Bai Xu asked.
"Yeah… I'm still a little worried. Gu Yue wasn't wrong. You've joined the Spirit Pagoda, and Master might not want me to go with you…"
Bai Xu replied, "What matters isn't Yun Ming's opinion—it's yours."
"Of course I want to go with you!" Na'er sat where Gu Yue had been moments ago—the spot still warm.
Though they shared the same body, they were ultimately two distinct souls.
Bai Xu and Na'er lay side by side on the bed, holding hands. Gazing at Na'er's face, Bai Xu had already made up his mind. If everything went smoothly, once he fully opened his meridians and perfected his Five Elements Body, he could attempt creation.
Studying Gu Yue wasn't just about observing the Silver Dragon's elemental transformations—it might also help him find a way to restore the Silver Dragon's origin energy.
Of course, the most important thing was to learn the workings of the world and see just how far he could go.
At this moment, Bai Xu felt a rare clarity of mind. Knowing what he wanted, knowing what to do, and then putting in the effort—that was enough.